Board Assembly Process, PCB Layers & X-ray Report
Board Assembly Process
Following are a number of individual steps involved in a printed circuit board assembly
(PCBA). Here are they:
• Step 1 – Application of Solder Paste
This is the very first step of a PCB assembly. Before you go on adding the components, it
is necessary to add the solder paste. It is required to add the paste only to those areas
where of the circuit board where you are going to apply solder. Solder paste is applied to
the board with the help of a solder screen. The screen has small holes. It is placed on the
board at the correct position and a runner is moved across it. This allows the solder paste
to squeeze through the holes and get applied on the board.
• Step 2 – Placement of the Components
This is done after the application of solder paste. Surface Mount Technology (SMT)
requires precise placement of components, which is hard to achieve through manual
placement. Therefore, components are placed on the board with the help of a pick and
place machine. The position at which the components are required to be placed and the
information of the component required by the pick and place machine is provided in the
PCB design information. This simplifies the pick and place programming and makes it
more precise.
• Step 3 – Reflow Oven
In this step, the actual connection takes place. After the component placement, the circuit
board is placed on the reflow oven conveyor belt. The solder applied during the solder
paste process melts during the reflow soldering. This joins the components to the circuit
board permanently.
• Step 4 – Wave Soldering / Manual Soldering
In this step, the printed circuit board is placed on a mechanical conveyor driven system
and passed through different zones. The
PCB is passed over a molten solder wave, which helps connect the PCB pads/holes,
electronic component leads, and the solder. This helps form an electrical connection. For
small volumes manual soldering will done for all pads / Platted Though holes pads.
• Step 5 – Cleaning the PCB
It is very important to clean a PCB after the assembly. This process helps clean all the flux
residues with the help of ionized water.
• Step 6 – Inspecting the PCB Assembly
This is one of the most important steps in a PCB assembly. In this step, the circuit board is
checked for any shorts, loose solder balls, and bridges between solder balls.
Board Assembly Process, PCB Layers & X-ray Report
Thermal Profile settings for your reference
Board Assembly Process, PCB Layers & X-ray Report
PCB Layers of TPS2120: TPS2120 component placed in Bottom layer
Stack up details: 4 layer board, where in top & bottom layers components are assembled.
Board Assembly Process, PCB Layers & X-ray Report
Top Layer etching & via’s
Input 2
Input 1
Output
Second (2) layer etching & via’s (Ground plane)
Input 2
Input 1
Output
Board Assembly Process, PCB Layers & X-ray Report
Third (3) layer etching & via’s (VCC plane)
Input 2
Input 1
Output
Bottom Layer etching & via’s (TPS2120 Component placement layer)
Input 2
Input 1
Output
Board Assembly Process, PCB Layers & X-ray Report
X-ray Report: Assembled TPS2120 component X-ray report for your reference.
Attached 2 boards assembled component x-ray report
